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The topic of “mindfulness” has gained a lot of attention over the last decade, and especially so during the last couple of years. This is because of all of the changes we have experienced during the pandemic. We all faced a lot of changes in the way we work, our daily routines, the way we interact with others, and even the way we interact with ourselves. We were living life just like we normally would and POOF, everything was different in the next moment. All of the usual ways we used to deal with things in our lives were suddenly taken away and we were left to sit with all of the things we were ignoring. If you are anything like me, you were forced to slow down… A LOT. I actually ran my own Chiropractic office in California and the lockdowns created a space for me to re-evaluate what I was doing in my business and my life. At that moment, I panicked about my business and my own survival in the marketplace. The idea of mindfulness did not truly “click” for me until this point in my life and I have made a lot of changes ever since.
The idea of mindfulness has actually been around for a very long time. In fact, the roots of mindfulness goes back to 2500 years ago through the early teachings of the Buddha. During the late 70s, mindfulness practices were introduced to the western world by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn of the University of Massachusetts with the purpose of reducing stress in the patients he was treating. He noticed that with mindfulness practices, people were able to lower their stress levels and enhance their wellbeing. Since then, mindfulness practices have been researched extensively and are known to make a significant impact in how a person experiences their life.
The science of mindfulness involves a whole being approach involving the brain and nervous system. The nervous system which controls the autonomic (I also describe this as “automatic”) functions of your body have two modes: fight or flight and rest and digest. Some autonomic functions of your body include your heart pumping blood, your digestion, how your blood vessels constrict and dilate, and basically everything else that your body is doing without you thinking about it. Fight or flight, also known as the sympathetic part of your autonomic nervous system, is a state of defense, activated when we must react quickly to something threatening our safety in the environment. Rest and digest, also known as the parasympathetic, has a calming effect and controls digestion and sleep. When we experience a stressor in our daily life, from one task to another, our systems are supposed to be able to switch from these two modes. We call this adaptability. Adaptability is so key in our optimal functioning that famous physicist Stephen Hawking once said “ Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” Adaptability, quite literally, makes a system more intelligent.
As the levels of stressors rise, our systems have a harder time adapting from one to the other and get stuck in the fight or flight mode. With the system in vigilance over a long period of time, the sympathetic part of the nervous system starts to recruit other parts of the system that are not meant for defense. This includes your hormonal system,your digestive system, and even the system that controls your blood sugar, causing you to reach for carbohydrate rich and sugary foods. In this hyper vigilant mode, people experience chronic health concerns such as anxiety, depression, irritable bowel syndrome and much more. Some people even experience changes in their sleep and being unable to relax. These two modes are opposing each other and have opposite effects on the system, so you can’t be in defense mode and truly heal at the same time. In this fight or flight mode, it is harder to think positively or be able to see beyond the problem that is right in front of you. A lot of what we do, how we react, and how we perceive the world is determined by the health of our nervous system and its ability to switch between these two modes. This means that if our nervous system is holding on to trauma, tension, or even subconscious belief patterns, then our decisions are being made from that energetic level instead of a much higher place.
To me, mindfulness is not just about meditating, yoga or green juices (although, let’s face it.. It does help). Mindfulness is a practice and a way of life. It is really about living life and becoming connected with what you do and how you do it. And it all starts with you. Each part of our lives has significant effects on each other. Whether it is your business/work, your relationships, or your health, the common denominator is you as the co-creator of your experiences.
Dr. Abbey Hernandez is a Chiropractor specializing in the bodymind connection and founder of Elemental Living, a holistic health practice in Coral Gables. She can be reached at 786-432-1512 or hello@elementallivinghealthcenter.com
Well said Doc!